Etch A Sketch has given ammunition for Santorum and Gingrich against Romney

Mitt Romney's adviser makes a bad comparison on CNN on Wednesday

March 23, 2012

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WRITTEN BY: Kara Menini

Etch A Sketch now represents Mitt Romney's politics

Image Source: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

Etch A Sketch is starting to become synonymous with Mitt Romney’s politics thanks to his advisor, Eric Fehrnstrom’s comments on Wednesday. When asked about Romney’s politics now versus how they will be this fall, Fehrnstrom said, “Well, I think you hit a reset button for the fall campaign. Everything changes. It’s almost like an Etch A Sketch—you can kind of shake it up, and we start all over again.”

The Etch A Sketch comment is now being used against Romney by his opponents. Both Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum have brought an Etch A Sketch to their most recent speeches to remind moderate voters of Romney’s politics. Gingrich told Louisiana voters that “having an Etch A Sketch as your campaign model raises every doubt about where we’re going.” Santorum told voters that he stands “firmly on the rocks of freedom, not on the sands of an Etch A Sketch toy.”

Michael Wolraich, who wrote an article for CNN opinion, made a fantastic comparison to the Etch A Sketch and politics in general, “the real-life Etch a Sketch in all its splotchy glory actually offers a better metaphor for American politics than the fantasy of a clean post-primary slate.”

Mitt Romney has since made a statement since his advisors Etch A Sketch comment, “I am in this race to defeat Barack Obama and restore America’s promise. I was disappointed to hear that Rick Santorum would rather have Barack Obama as president than a Republican. This election is more important than any one person. It is about the future of America. Any of the Republicans running would be better than President Obama and his record of failure.”

Etch A Sketch sales have gone up too. The company that makes the toy, Ohio Art, rarely pays for advertisement thanks to it’s role in the Toy Story movies and now thanks to Mitt Romney. The company, however, won’t take a stand on who it supports in this campaign, “We have a left knob and a right knob,” said Martin Killgallon, marketing director for Ohio Art. “So we neutrally speak to both parties.”